St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church

Place Description

The St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church is a wood framed Gothic Revival style church located prominently on the edge of the Village of Victoria near the Trans Canada Highway. The registration includes the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Why is this place important?

The St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church is valued as an example of the work of Island architect, William Critchlow Harris (1854-1913); for its Gothic Revival style; and for its contribution to the streetscape.

The first church on this property was built in 1841 on land donated by the Countess of Westmoreland, who owned a great deal of land in the area. The church was to be used by Christians of all persuasions, with the "established" or Anglican church given preference. She also donated 200 Pounds toward the building fund and provided the embroidered altar cloth, pulpit hangings, and sterling silver chalice. Today, a tablet in the current church expresses the people's gratitude to her and her daughter, Lady Fane, for these gifts. Many of the early families in the Village of Victoria were associated with this church, including the Palmers who founded the village.

By the late 19th Century, this first building was proving too small for the parish which led to the current church being constructed. Completed in 1901, the larger Gothic Revival style structure was designed by William Critchlow Harris, an Island architect who designed many buildings in the Maritimes. The builders were the Haslam brothers of Victoria. The cornerstone was laid amid much ceremony on September 9, 1901 by Islander, Sir Louis Henry Davies, who would become chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

An interesting feature of the building, includes the tombstone laid horizontally on the floor near the nave. It remembers the wife of a medical doctor, Dr. Hillcoat, who briefly lived in Victoria.

The Gothic Revival style of the building is evident in its buttresses, pointed arch tracery windows, semi-circular apse, and corner tower with a pinnacle in each corner. The spire is painted in three defining segments and terminates in a cross.

The church is a landmark in the area and continues to contribute to its streetscape.

Special Characteristics

The following character-defining elements illustrate the Gothic Revival heritage value of the St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church:

- The overall massing of the building with its liturgical configuration
- The pitch of the roof
- The building's wood-framed construction
- The cedar shingled exterior
- The corner tower with four pinnacles and spire rising to a point topped with a cross
- The two large pointed arch stained glass windows
- The original leaded glass tracery windows and casements
- The buttresses and semi-circular apse

Other character-defining elements include:

- The Church's pastoral setting near the highway and its physical and visual relationship to its streetscape
- Its continued use as a place of worship